He's a Lady
Eleven men compete to be the most convincing woman.
He's a Lady is an American reality television series that aired on TBS in 2004. The six-episode competition featured eleven cisgender men attempting to pass as women for a $250,000 prize. The show was part of TBS's effort to capitalize on growing interest in LGBT-themed reality programming.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Reality television
- Presenter
- Tony Frassrand
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 6
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Runtime
- 45–46 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Format
The six-episode series was set in Los Angeles and featured eleven cisgender men competing for $250,000. The contestants initially believed they were in a fitness competition called All American Man, but upon arrival learned they would cross-dress to pass as women. They adopted feminine personas and moved into a pink-and-purple dwelling called "The Doll House." They were taught about brassieres and jewelry and competed in weekly challenges such as modeling, wedding planning, serving as a bridesmaid, and household chores. A celebrity panel including Morgan Fairchild, Debbie Matenopoulos, and John Salley eliminated one contestant each week. The finalists competed in a beauty pageant where they explained what they learned about being a man. Tony Frassrand hosted.
Production
TBS green-lit the show in early 2004, and production began shortly afterward. Steve Koonin, executive vice president of TBS, said the network hoped the show and The Real Gilligan's Island would "pioneer a genre we call comedic reality." A TBS spokesperson claimed the show was meant to show how gender roles function in society, while executive producer Tom Campbell hoped the hypermasculine contestants would become more sensitive to women's needs. Filming took place in Los Angeles over three weeks. On August 27, 2004, TBS sent a press release announcing an October 12 premiere, but the show was briefly delayed and premiered on October 19, 2004. The press release described the premise as "11 macho men [who are given] the opportunity to walk a mile in women’s shoes." Contestant Ryan Katz said the experience was "terrifying, tumultuous; it took my testosterone away." Following controversies and cancellations of other LGBT-themed reality programs, executive producers Campbell and Douglas Ross were anxious not to offend the LGBT community. They did not want contestants to "equate the change of gender with a change of sexual orientation." The network offered GLAAD an advance copy for review, though GLAAD later said they reached out to producers after examining the press release. GLAAD was concerned about the portrayal of LGBT people and wanted more tactful representation. Through consultation, Campbell said GLAAD helped producers become more aware of transgender issues and double standards of beauty. One change was using "in character" instead of "in drag" when referring to contestants' personas.
Reception
Conservative Christian groups like the American Family Association and the Traditional Values Coalition heavily criticized He's a Lady. The AFA called it humorless and accused it of pushing "life as a transvestite," while the TVC labeled it a "new homosexual-inspired transvestite show." They organized a boycott, urging sponsors to abandon the series. Under this pressure, the main sponsor, S. C. Johnson & Son, withdrew its advertising and financial backing.
Lawsuit
In late 2004, screenwriters John Phillips and Derek Gerard took TBS and the production company Evolution Film & Tape to federal court in California. They demanded $3 million, accusing the defendants of copyright infringement, breach of an implied contract, and unfair competition. The writers claimed that their script, Sex Change, which had been pitched to TBS, was stolen for the show He's a Lady. That script drew from Phillips's own story of being an "all-American" athlete who later transitioned; he felt the network and production company "stole part of my life." The plaintiffs and Evolution Film & Tape had once shared the same booking agent, Cal Boyington. The case was thrown out with prejudice in October 2005, and each side paid its own legal fees.
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